Just 20 Days away - It's becoming REAL people! A few weeks ago wedding pews, centerpieces, bow ties, playlists, and party favors were dreamlike imaginings... Now the suits are pressed, hanging in my closet, the plane tickets and hotel rooms are booked, and I know more than I could ever wish to know about the minutia of party planning... napkin folds?! Seriously!? But honestly, I am STOKED!! Britt has been a champion in planning so much of our special day. I am doing exactly what a good fiance should do - "Yes Honey, that's exactly what I wanted... couldn't have chosen any better myself ;)" And the best part is we are in the final stretch --- I am down to my LAST 2 races (Berlin and Rieti) before I stand at the end of that aisle waiting to recite those vows. Homestretch, right?!

But this wedding is more than just a lovely day spent with friends and family. For Brittany and I this is a day where we get to celebrate our devotion to one another but ALSO our devotion as a couple to making a difference in the world. In so many ways our relationship started through running and then flourished through our joint passion for charity. For us, CHARITY is synonymous with LO﻿VE! We hope that this union is further celebrated by lighting a fire of compassion in those around us!

Instead of gifts we are asking for our friends and family to memorialize the special day by touching hundreds of lives in East Africa. We are supporting the Spark a Brighter Future project through World Vision which will provide digital education tools, internet connectivity, and training to students and teachers at schools in Kenya. More than just providing access to educational resources, this project will empower children to DREAM bigger and CONNECT to a world of possibility. During my 10 years as a refugee in Kenya I yearned for the opportunity to go to school and pursue my dreams of having a better life. My friends and I wrote the alphabet in the sand of the refugee camp and dreamed of having a pencil and paper. My life changed when I got the chance to write my story down and submit it to the US embassy for a chance to build a better future in the US. With your help Brittany and I want to make sure that every child has the opportunity to write down their stories and pursue their goals in education. Education has changed both of our lives and we hope together we can celebrate our marriage by changing the lives of hundreds of children in East Africa. If you want to be part of our special day and help us SHARE THE LOVE with hundreds of children in East Africa, please visit our Wedding Giving Page! Thanks for all of your prayers and thoughts on our special day - I will be dancing down that aisle!

Since I have started this blog I have been talking a lot about training, racing, working hard. But today we are going to do something different - it's a cross training day! In honor of a 2 week cross training period since the end of my last indoor season race in NY, I wanted to do something different for fun. I have been really enjoying my break and have had the chance to make a bunch of new friends in Dayton, Ohio as I have been here supporting Brittany in her training. Today I am going to answer 10 random questions just so you can get to know me a little better... so here we go!

1. Favorite color?- My favorite color is blue. It was the color of both NAU and Air Force so very close to my heart in many ways.

3. What was the best advice your dad ever gave you?- Stay focused and be hungry for something greater.

4. What is your favorite place you have ever traveled but would not live?- Monte Carlo. I love running track races in Monoco but it is an incredibly expensive place to live. It is fun to be there just for a day or two.

5. Are you a morning person?- Heck no :) I only wake up early if I absolutely have to - catching a flight, going to an early workout, or drug testing with USADA.

6. What are your favorite toppings on a pizza?- Spinach, goat cheese, tomatoes, and chicken... Pizza is still my favorite food!

7. What job did you want to do when you were young?- When I was little, I wanted to be a farmer just like my dad in South Sudan.

8. What is your favorite workout?- 1200 meter repeats on the outdoor track. I really like the mental and physical challenge. My teammates and I usually try to make a game out of it as well... competing to run EXACTLY the perfect split time down to a 10th of a second.

9. What job outside of your career field would be the most fun to do?- I would like to be in government. I would love to start on the local level as a community organizer. I really enjoy doing work with my non-profit and would love to be able to do that type of work in civil service as well. Who knows what the future might hold!

10. If you could have a drink with someone in history who would it be? Nelson Mandela. The greatest African leader and change agent. I would love to talk to him about how to change the political mindset in Africa especially in a young country like South Sudan. It was an incredible feat to make politicians understand that the country is about all of its citizens and not the few at the top.

I love hearing from you and if you have any other questions or topics you would like me to talk about please send me a message or make a comment on my blog. Thanks for everyone's congratulations on the American Record last week and for all of the kind words about how Running for My Life is touching your life.

Running Tip #7: Cross training is one of the most important aspects of recovery. If even you feel great in training it is a good idea to take a cross training day periodically to let your body rebuild. It's also fun to play around with other types of training that you are not used to - go for a swim, a bike ride, or go dancing!

In honor of Valentine's Day I thought it would be fun to reflect a little bit on what running teaches us about love. While at first glance Love and Running can seem to be polar opposites (even runners gloat that "our sport is your sport's punishment"), running truly has a lot to teach about this lovely subject. I met Brittany through running, so obviously love and running cannot possibly be very far apart.

Loving even the tough parts - Ask almost any non-runner and they will tell you that they "hate" running. They claim that no matter how much they try they will never enjoy it. The mistake here of course is being afraid of the pain. Long runs, speed workouts, pushing through limits - they all require a certian amount of pain. But runners know that the joy derived from running is worth every ounce of struggle. If someone new to running can commit to running everyday for 2 weeks (even just a little bit) they would taste the fondness that grows with time. In the same way, relationships only grow more powerful with time. They are not unlike long runs - feeling amazing in the beginning, really have to focus and concentrate in the middle, and then pick up speed again towards the end. In Love and Running it pays to remembering that this is what you LOVE to do (and this is the person you LOVE) even though it might be painful for a moment. As Yoda once said, "Love is not love which alters when it alteration finds" (on second thought I believe that one is from Shakespeare ;)

Patience - In running, listening to your body is a key to effective training. Every mile you run is a gradual achievement of your goals but progress can sometimes be slow. For the last 5 years my relationship with Brittany has almost constantly been long distance. Anyone who has done long distance knows that it can be trying but that the time together is so cherished, making it all worth it. Right after we began dating in April, Brittany went away to Japan for language training. She got back in the nick of time for the 2008 Olympic Trails and then was there to send me off to the Olympics in Beijing, China (my first international race!). After the Olympics I went to Africa for a few months to bring my youngest brothers, Alex and Peter, to America (one of my proudest achievements!!). As soon as I returned, I took Brittany to the airport for a semester in Nagasaki, Japan. When she returned she competed for and won the Rhodes Scholarship and was off again to Oxford (one of the things I am most proud of her for!). And you get the point... All of this was a HUGE learning experience in patience and communication (thank heavens for Skype!). Not unlike learning to listen to your body, Learning to listen to the person you love, is the fuel of a successful relationship. Every mile between us is just another opportunity to run toward each other. All is not "fair" in love and war (well I don't know much about war, but sometimes that's what racing feels like ;). It's amazing what patience can do to level the playing field....

Cherishing- Every runner has heard of the "runner's high" and any obsessive runner has come to know they are addicted to incredible sense of euphoria that surges through the body at the end of a long run or a hard workout. We can thank endorphins for the instant euphoria. The long term sense of satisfaction and joy that runners feel is thanks to having achieved something that challenges limits and pushes boundaries. Love is not that different - there is the instant satisfaction (the initial "infactuation" over your crush or the pleasure you get when you hear the words -"I love you"). Most of these feelings play on the "chemistry" beteween you and the person you love. But then there is the sense of peace, compassion, joy that only comes from a relationship tested by challenges and trials. A Tanzanian proverb says, "That which is good is never finished." These warm feelings have nothing to do with pleasure but instead result from a love truly cherished.

A few months ago I had the joy of getting my first puppy - Amani! She is a border collie and husky mix that Brittany and I found at a rescue in Albuquerque, NM and we both fell in love with her from the moment we first met her! Amani's blessings are many - a running buddy for Brittany when I am away training, unending energy, and a constant companion. She also reminds me on a daily basis about the simple joys in life!

1. Food! - Anyone who has a dog (especially a puppy) knows how excited they get at breakfast and dinner time. Amani does a little "food dance" whenever we go to fill her dog bowl with her delicious organic dog food (she's a runner and needs good fuel to train hard everyday). Her "dance" involves wagging her tail, a little bouncing, and a little spinning while she struggles to stay seated because she knows she only gets her food if she "sits". It is a daily reminder to never take food or nutrition for granted and to count the blessings of having access to food. In Kakuma refugee camp I felt the same joy for the one small meal we got everyday and now in America I realize the true blessings we all have.

2. Family - One of the greatest blessings of adopting Amani was enjoying the unending love and loyalty that she has for Brittany and I. No matter how long a workday Brittany has or how exhausted I am after a hard workout, Amani is waiting at the door to lick our worries away. It reminds me of the importance of being surrounded by loving family and friends everyday. The greatest gift I ever received in my life was being adopted by a family when I was 16 years old. In the refugee camp I was a boy without an identity, family, or a country. When I came to America in 2001 I got a country to be proud of, a second chance at my childhood, and most importantly, I got the unconditional love and support of a family. Thank you so much to my parents Rob and Barb Rogers for everything you have done for me!

3. Peace - When Brittany and I were thinking about what to name our new puppy we wanted something that would remind us daily of the joy she brings to our life. The word "Amani" means "Peace" in Swahili. As soon as we thought of it we knew that was her name :) Amani is a ball of energy and happiness and it reminds us everyday of the blessing of going to sleep at night knowing that we will wake up safe. We know that so many people living in war torn countries constantly worry about the safety of their families. I want to make sure that no other child is ever robbed of their childhood the way that I was. By simply providing a sense of peace and security for someone, a world of opportunity opens up allowing him or her to achieve their dreams. Our only limitations are the ones we put on ourselves. That is a beautiful thing! I train harder everyday so that together we can do amazing things and provide "Amani" for children in South Sudan.

Running Tip 2: To increase running speed add a burst of speed at the end of every run. Even accelerating for the last 100 meters of every run will have you craving speed and you will see the results!

These are only a few of the many joys of Amani. Amani is a goof-ball a lot like me and quite clever like Brittany. She is a great runner and training partner (of course!). I hope that we give her even a fraction of the happiness she gives us!Please keep sharing my story and Running for My Life with family and friends! I know that together we can change thousands of lives in South Sudan and share the many blessings - Join my team and the 4 South Sudan Campaign!